Indigo Bunting

Passerina cyanea

The "blue bird" of Missouri is a frequent misnomer placed on this small, turquoise-colored, seed-eating bird. Found throughout the state, its simple descending couplet song is easily recognized. Indigo Buntings are most easily observed along country roads as they fly to tree branches or wires. Sometimes during their first spring, males have a blotched blue and brown plumage, which is quite different from the iridescent gem-like appearance of breeding males when sunlight strikes their feathers.

Code Frequency

Atlasers recorded Indigo Buntings in all but 14 blocks. All codes except UN were used to document breeding behavior. Observations of fledglings (168) and food for young (98) confirmed 22 percent of all breeding records. Only 4.5 percent of all records were actual nest observations, perhaps because nests were difficult to find in thickets, tangles and weed patches.

Distribution

Distributed nearly statewide, Indigo Buntings were found in nearly all habitats. This species is common and widespread and was the second most-widely distributed species recorded during the Atlas Project. Indigo Buntings were well distributed throughout the Ozark Natural Division. This species has benefited from shrubby habitat created since 1900 by logging and old field succession (Ehrlich et al. 1988).

Average Number of Birds / 100 stops

Abundance

This species reached its highest relative abundance in the Ozark, Ozark Border and Mississippi Lowlands natural divisions where it was two to three times more abundant than in the Glaciated Plains. The profusion of edges between forests and pastures in the southern and eastern parts of the state probably offers more nesting and foraging habitat. The Osage Plains averaged about 1.5 times as many birds per route as the Glaciated Plains. Both agricultural regions likely have fewer nest sites.

Phenology

Indigo Buntings arrive in mid- to late April (Robbins and Easterla 1992). Atlasers observed the earliest instance of nest building in Taney County, and of adults carrying food to young in Osage County. A nest and Eggs: were observed on May 7 in a block in the Festus area. Fledglings were observed through Aug. 29. Because most Atlasing activity had ceased by late August, September nesting activity went undocumented for this potentially four-brooded species (Payne 1992).

Notes

The Atlas Project reported 19 instances in which Indigo Buntings hosted Brown-headed Cowbird Eggs: and young. Ehrlich et al. (1988) report them as frequent hosts of Brown-headed Cowbirds.

Breeding Evidence

Reported in 1,188 (98.4%) of 1,207 blocks

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